Ambient Lighting Discussion...

[Hillside Trece]

In my current HT room, we have a fancy torch lamp that matches our room's decor in the left front corner by the sub/left main channel and a table lamp on an end table near the couches we sit on, and this table lamp contains an amber-colored night light in the base which also matches our room's colors and decor; the torch lamp additionally contains a "night light" in an amber color, but the light is so weak with this on, it hardly qualifies as a light, illuminating pretty much nothing...

When we watch films in this room, I normally keep the night light of the torch lamp on plus the night light of the table lamp, but during dark sequences, the table lamp's light is pretty distracting, coming from the side of our viewing position and casting a subtle glare on the SXRD screen. I know lighting during serious viewing sessions shouldn't come from the sides of the room like this, for exactly what we're suffering with, glare issues and distraction, but short of getting one of those lights go to behind the TV I don't know what to do in order to create an optimum environment in my viewing room...

I realize there's a sticky about this above, but do I need to invest in a light that comes from behind the screen? For the meantime, should I be leaving the table lamp night light off being that it's so prominent as it's close to us? If I leave that light off, that leaves the night light in the torch lamp, which pretty much leaves the room in total darkness, and thus we get some eye strain...

[Beta Man]

I say "total darkness" better that you begin to get use to it now......

[Alan Brown]

The human organism can "get used to" a wide range of environmental conditions and still function acceptably. Motion imaging industry scientists and engineers have studied human factors for over a century and developed ideal recommendations for electronic display viewing conditions. Opinions may vary, but the science has been proven correct over and over again by video program professionals and imaging experts over the last half century and more.

This article should help you understand the principles involved in your dilemma: 'The Importance Of Viewing Environment Conditions In A Reference Display System.' Here's another article that simplifies what is recommended for optimum video display viewing conditions: 'D65 Video Bias Lighting Fundamental Theory and Practice.'

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.
A Lion AV Consultants Affiliate

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

[ixlegitballinxl]

ever consider the ikea light strips? Pics in my gallery of it, I'm sure you have heard of them around the forum. It def helps with eye strain. Beleive they run $49.99

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by ixlegitballinxl

ever consider the ikea light strips? Pics in my gallery of it, I'm sure you have heard of them around the forum. It def helps with eye strain. Beleive they run $49.99

They are the wrong color temperature for video.

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I say "total darkness" better that you begin to get use to it now......

You serious, Beta? Leave all lights off during film watching? Always?

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

You serious, Beta? Leave all lights off during film watching? Always?

That's how it looks best, in the darkness.

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

That's how it looks best, in the darkness.

Says who?

[Hawk7883]

Let's get a vote going

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Alan Brown

Says who?

I just did!

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

I realize there's a sticky about this above, but do I need to invest in a light that comes from behind the screen? For the meantime, should I be leaving the table lamp night light off being that it's so prominent as it's close to us? If I leave that light off, that leaves the night light in the torch lamp, which pretty much leaves the room in total darkness, and thus we get some eye strain...

I find that lights directly behind the TV would be distracting, so it's going to vary from person to person. I use wall sconces with a low watt bulb on dimmer switches that I can set - that also have a separate on/off button, so i can keep my settings the way I want.

It's probably just going to take some time to get the desired result. Try some inexpensive behind the set lights and see how you like it.

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by Hawk7883

Let's get a vote going

These folks are in favor of bias lighting:

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Industrial Light and Magic (ILM)
The Imaging Science Foundation (ISF)
THX, Ltd.
Electronic Arts (EA)
Deluxe
Microsoft Corporation
Image Entertainment
Universal Studios
PostWorks
Joe Kane Productions
Ovation Multimedia
DisplayMate Technologies
CNET Labs
Radical Games
Factor5 Studios
High Moon Studios
CinRam
Rev13 Films
Advanced Television Evaluation Lab- Communications Research Centre- Canada
Apple Corporation
Filet Post Production
Post and Beam
Cheyenne Mtn. Entertainment
Zombie Studios
CBS Television
Deluxe Digital Studios
Splice Here
Slant Six Games
New Hat LLC
Roush Media
Samsung Germany
Digital Film Lab- Denmark
Nice Shoes, VFX New York
Desperate Housewives, Editorial
Rockhopper Post
Live Nation Studios
LionAV Consultants
Avical
Technicolor-CA
Technicolor-NY
Technicolor-Canada
Max Post
Bandito Brothers Studio
Chainsaw Edit
Twin Cities Public Television
Colorflow Post
ABC Television
The Moving Picture Company
Dolby Labs-Canada
Dolby Labs-CA
Dreamworks Animation
Univ. of Quebec at Montreal
No6 NY
No6 CA
IndieColor
ColorWorkz
Colorama
Powderhouse Productions
Red Echo Post
The Criterion Collection
Running Man Post
Post-Op Media
Oblique FX
Whipping Post Services
McIntosh Productions LLC
Film-Tek: Lost Planet Editorial
Wildbrain Animation
Digital Cave Media

Here's a link to ten years of user comments.

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

That's how it looks best, in the darkness.

No, it actually doesn't -- and it does cause severe eye strain, I know that much. I know you clearly stated to Alan that "you just did!" in terms of saying who stated this, but he provided clear examples of why this isn't so.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

No, it actually doesn't -- and it does cause severe eye strain, I know that much. I know you clearly stated to Alan that "you just did!" in terms of saying who stated this, but he provided clear examples of why this isn't so.

Depends on what you are viewing ! A TV ~ OK maybe you need some lighting behind or within the room.

With a projector you want a pitch black room for the room does not stay that way with the projector on & the reflections of light coming off the screen onto the walls & ceiling . No eye strain what so ever Beta is right !!!

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by Deadset

I find that lights directly behind the TV would be distracting, so it's going to vary from person to person. I use wall sconces with a low watt bulb on dimmer switches that I can set - that also have a separate on/off button, so i can keep my settings the way I want.

It's probably just going to take some time to get the desired result. Try some inexpensive behind the set lights and see how you like it.

Thanks Dead; sounds like your sconces are as close to the dim table lamp night light that we use -- do you leave them dim?

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Depends on what you are viewing ! A TV ~ OK maybe you need some lighting behind or within the room.

With a projector you want a pitch black room for the room does not stay that way with the projector on & the reflections of light coming off the screen onto the walls & ceiling . No eye strain what so ever Beta is right !!!

Oh, OK -- you're right in that regard; I should have been more specific in that with front projection systems, a complete bat cave is mandated.

Still, I was referencing more Bob's seemingly mindless reply of "I just did!" when Alan asked "says who?" I realize Bob will just say, "well, he did ask..." as a reply at this point, but that's not really what Alan meant by his question...

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Depends on what you are viewing ! A TV ~ OK maybe you need some lighting behind or within the room.

With a projector you want a pitch black room for the room does not stay that way with the projector on & the reflections of light coming off the screen onto the walls & ceiling . No eye strain what so ever Beta is right !!!

In this thread's context, front projection is off topic. The original poster was inquiring about viewing conditions in his system. His system uses a Sony KDS-50A2020 SXRD, which is a rear projection HDTV. Video industry recommended best practices specify the use of color correct bias lighting for dark room viewing. They always have, and as long as TVs produce significantly brighter images than front projection systems, likely always will. Certain individuals may choose to view without bias lighting, but the average TV viewer will benefit from following proven video industry practices.

[SammyB]

Bias lighting does have several perks. I'm considering ordering the Ideal-Lume Panelight myself. Before I used the ikea lights, and they are obviously not the right color temperature.

If you get eyestrain bias lighting will help. But also considering lowering your brightness. A 30-40 footlambert reading is recommended, but I find 40ftL is way too bright in a dark room. Try somewhere around 30 to 35 tops. I shot for 33ftL and don't have any eyestrain after watching 2 movies back to back. Since I believe you said you don't own a colorimeter or spectrophotometer, just adjust your white levels until they don't strain your eyes, but still appear nice and white.

Bias lighting also is great if you have an lcd and have slight clouding, or a tv that creates weaker blacks.

Some cheaper options to the ideal-lume is a little lamp and cfl bulb that is rated for 6,500K. Place it behind you tv and shine on the wall. Like this http://www.brothersontech.com/blog/n...lighting-cheap

If you don't have enough space, you could try out an under cabinet florescent light, plug in type of course and set that behind your tv, and buy a bulb for it that's 6,500K.

I'm going to home depot to see if they have one small enough myself, since it's flat mounted. They're site says they do, just have to make sure the size they listed is correct. It'd be 28 bucks for two, plus some bulbs. That would be a lot cheaper.

And yes, I'd recommend turning off your table lamp, or moving it. If you get really bad eye strain with out it, your set might be too bright. And if you want to find out if you like watching with bias lighting, rig some white christmas lights behind your set. If you don't celebrate christmas, maybe a flashlight you have or something, depending on how close your tv is to the wall. I'm sure you're clever enough to figure something out.

[js666]

Bigger display=less eye strain. At least in my experience.

[Alan Brown]

I find it noteworthy, time and again, that the topic of bias lighting discussion in consumer video forums usually is focused exclusively or primarily on eye strain. The human factors research performed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) Professional Monitor Working Group resulted in their Recommended Practices document, SMPTE RP-166-1995 'Critical Viewing Conditions for Evaluation of Color Television Pictures.' That document devotes very little space to issues pertaining to eye strain. The vast majority of the discussion dealt with preserving correct color perception and avoiding screen reflections. The dominant focus of the research was how to insure the best image from the monitor.

The man SMPTE asked to chair the working group mentioned above was Joe Kane, of Joe Kane Productions. Following that work, his colleagues encouraged Joe to serve as their spokesman in promoting their findings throughout the video industry and market. This resulted in the first video calibration program on optical disc available, 'A Video Standard' on laserdisc. That is where I first heard about D65 bias lighting and the importance of viewing environment conditions. Another development from Joe's mission was the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF), which offered classes for professionals and consumers on imaging science and video standards. In those classes, the ISF began instructing technicians on how to perform video display calibrations that followed methods developed by the SMPTE Working Group: SMPTE RP-167-1995, 'Alignment of NTSC Color Picture Monitors.'

My point in relating this background is to emphasize that better pictures are the result of emulating professional practice. The motto of Joe Kane Productions is "It's All About The Art." In other words, it's not about the gear or the technology, but what is being conveyed by it. The objective in considering viewing environment conditions is- what makes for the best viewing experience. Reduced eye strain is just one of the many benefits of correctly implemented bias lighting. Preserving image fidelity is the most important.